


A Very Earp Christmas

by LaMaupin



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: F/F, Gen, Post canon, despite the title this is very much not a holiday fic, it's more of a direct follow up to 1x13, slightly angsty, which just happens to take place right around christmas, with a side helping of nicole and wynonna brotp
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-08
Updated: 2016-08-08
Packaged: 2018-08-07 09:37:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7710106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaMaupin/pseuds/LaMaupin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All Wynonna ever wanted was to protect her sister, but she's never been good at getting what she wanted. </p><p>Or,</p><p>In the aftermath of the winter solstice, Waverly sleeps and Wynonna broods.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Very Earp Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> This is mostly because I realized that season 1 ended like three days before Christmas, which just feels kind of fitting if I'm being honest.

“You should go home. Get some sleep or something,” Wynonna said, looking at where Nicole was curled up in one of the chairs Doc had dragged into the bedroom of the homestead.

Nicole rubbed her eyes and looked up at Wynonna. She had barely moved from that spot since she had been released from the hospital the previous morning. She looked about as good as Wynonna felt. 

“I could say the same about you. Have you slept at all since the party?”

“Only one Earp can sleep at a time. It's part of the curse,” she said, shrugging. It was a deflection but if deflecting shit with snark was a competitive sport Wynonna would be the undisputed world champion. 

The truth was that she couldn't sleep. Every time she closed her eyes the litany of horrors from the past few days started replaying itself on a loop. She wasn't sure which part was worse: the fear in Willa’s eyes when Wynonna had shot her, or the inhuman look in Waverly’s when she had levelled a gun at her. (Why did she even have a gun?)

If Wynonna knew anything, it was how to deal with shit. It wasn't like this was the first time she had, say, murdered a member of her family, but this time was different. This time she couldn't run away and pretend like she'd never heard of a town called Purgatory. Because this time Waverly had gotten caught in the crossfire. (Or the hellfire, as it were.) 

The joke fell flat as they both looked at Waverly, unconscious in the bed, where she had lay unmoving for the past thirty-six hours.

That was another image Wynonna couldn’t get out of her head: the way Waverly had just collapsed after Doc shot away her gun. She had been unconscious ever since, as still as death. 

(Thank god Doc was more than just a pretty face and a decent lay. Keeping the fastest gun in the west around did have its benefits.)

Nicole had barely left Waverly’s side, and normally Wynonna wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to give her shit about it, but nothing about this situation felt normal. Dolls was gone, Black Badge was maybe going to blow the town into oblivion, she’d had to kill her recently returned from the dead and now completely evil sister, there were giant snake demons lurking just across the county line, and Waverly had also taken a turn for the evil. 

The fact that Nicole and Waverly were apparently dating paled in comparison to all the other revelations of the past few days. 

Wynonna took a long pull from the whiskey she’d been steadily working her way through and leaned against the doorframe. The silence in the room was decidedly awkward, but every silence was these days and she powered through. 

“I just would have thought you’d be spending Christmas with your family, rather than sticking around for the Earp family tradition of horrible holidays.”

Nicole gave her a blank look, which, honestly, she couldn’t blame her for. Wynonna herself only knew the the date because Gus had called to ask her about Christmas dinner about ten minutes before. The last week had sort of all blended together into one long string of demonic horror in Wynonna’s mind. It did make it difficult to remember the date. 

(Not that Wynonna had ever been particularly good at remembering the date. That type of thing was more Waverly’s territory).

“It’s Christmas Eve, dude. You know, a day where people traditionally pretend they like their family enough to spend time with them?” 

Nicole shrugged, looking away. “I told my family I’m working.”

That caught Wynonna off guard. Nicole always seemed so wholesome. Definitely not the type to skip out on family holidays. “Lying to your family to get out of spending time together? How very me of you.”

Nicole laughed dryly before shaking her head, her face softening as she looked at Waverly. Wynonna made a note to tease the shit out of Waverly when (if) she woke up.

“What was I supposed to tell them? ‘Hey mom, dad, Jamie, Howie, Shannon, yeah I’ve been good except for the part where my girlfriend’s sister shot me. Oh yeah I’ve got a girlfriend. She’s hunts demons with her sister - no not the one who shot me that was her other evil sister - and a mysterious government agent, and Doc Holliday who is somehow still alive. Also she’s in some sort of supernatural coma and we have no idea if she’s going to wake up. So yeah, I’m just great. Merry Christmas.’”

“Welcome to the family,” Wynonna said, offering her the whiskey. Nicole accepted the bottle and took a long swig. “Normally this is where I’d tell you that if you ever even think about hurting my baby sister I won’t hesitate to use my very large gun that sends demons to hell, but considering the circumstances…”

Nicole shook her head and passed back the whiskey. “I’ve already been shot by one Earp. Trust me, I have no desire to complete the set.”

“Yeah, sorry about that,” Wynonna said, rubbing the back of her neck. She still felt bad about seriously considering letting Willa shoot Nicole, even if it had been to save the world. 

She liked Nicole. They were friends. Hell, she might just be the only actual friend Wynonna had ever had. So her forgiveness felt more important than it probably should. Wynonna really fucking hated giving this much of a damn about someone she wasn’t either related to or sleeping with but here she was. 

(First Dolls and now Nicole. She really was getting sentimental in her old age.) 

“Not your fault,” Nicole said with a shrug. “Stings like a bitch though. Even with the vest.”

“You do realize that you’re going to have to wear a vest all the time now, right? Because Waverly is going to murder me if anything happens to you.”

Nicole looked back at Waverly, concern etched across her face. Maybe humor wasn’t the best tack right now. Instead Wynonna opted for whiskey, taking another long drink. 

(Thank god for whiskey.) 

The burn of the liquor distracted her from the weight of everything they weren’t saying. Of all the questions about when and if Wavery would wake up. And who exactly would be waking up. 

She hated feeling this powerless. There was no one to threaten with her big ass demon killing gun for answers. Nowhere to charge into half-cocked, all adrenaline and no plan.

She couldn’t even ask anyone for help, because demon possession was Dolls’ territory and he was god knows where. Even the damn Blacksmith was dead. There was nobody left to ask. 

All she could do was wait and she really wasn’t waiting type. Waiting meant having time to think, and well, thinking never got her anywhere. Or at least, never got her anywhere good. 

She was saved from the dark places her thoughts were taking her by the sound of the door swinging open. She left Nicole to her silent vigil and went to see who it was. She found Doc waiting for her in the hall, looking morose. 

He shot a meaningful look towards the bedroom and Wynonna shook her head. “Please tell me you have good news, because I’m going stir crazy in here, and I would really like to punch some revheads.”

He shook his head grimly. “The Revenants have gone to ground and I was unable to find anything useful. If any of them know anything about what happened to Waverly then they certainly are not talking.”

“Shit. Shit shit fucking shit.” It took all of her self control to not punch something or throw the bottle that was still in her hand. “Dolls picked a hell of a time to fucking leave. Merry fucking Christmas.”

It wasn’t fair and she knew it, but it didn’t change the fact that he was gone. “And you know what the worst part is? The worst part is that all I can think about is that Waverly would know what to do. She would dig up some old book in a language no one else can even read or something and have the answer...she was right, she should have been the heir.”

She said the last part so quietly that she wasn’t sure Doc even heard it, but if he did, he was tactful enough not to say anything. She was more than a bit embarrassed by the tears she was barely holding back and the way her breath stuttered, catching in her throat. 

She was not going to fucking cry in front of Doc Holliday. She had standards.

He looked away, picking up his hat and fiddling with it. He knew her well enough to not try and comfort her and she loved him for it. 

“You know, it does occur to me that there is someone else who might be convinced to help us,” Doc said hesitantly, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had developed.

“Well, why didn’t you lead with that?” Now probably wasn’t the time for sarcasm, but she had had enough sincerity today to last a lifetime. 

“There is a certain witch who we left completely at our mercy, who does know a thing or two about the demonic.”

Wynonna was surprised by the suggestion. Mostly because it hadn’t occurred to her. But also because she knew how important revenge had been to Doc. She might be an asshole, but she wasn’t a complete jerk. Most of the time. 

“Are you sure?”

“I do find that I like Waverly more than I hate the witch Clootie.” 

That was all she needed. She grabbed Peacemaker and started towards the door. She turned to where Doc was still standing, hat in hand, and gave him an expectant look. “Well, what are you waiting for? Let’s go get us a witch.”

*

The drive to the salt flats took longer than she remembered, but that might’ve been because of the tense silence that settled over them as she drove. 

Wynonna was just happy to have something to do that felt useful. Something to focus on that wasn’t the very real possibility that her entire world was crumbling beneath her. She had a target, and a mission, and everything would work out. It always did. (It had to.) 

They would get Clootie, she would fix Waverly, they would go get Dolls, and everything would go back to normal. Easy. Or at least, that’s what she told herself. Because anything else would be unthinkable. 

Clootie was right where they’d left her, if a bit worse for wear. Her face was sunken from the salt, and her skin was raw and cracked from the exposure. Even this far south, the Canadian winters were cruel. 

“Please, please let me out, I’ll do whatever you want, I’ll give you Bobo, and the lead. Or, or, maybe you want immortality? I’ll do it. I’ll give you that. Whatever you want. Just let me out,” she pleaded as they approached. Her voice was high and thin, edged with mania. Wynonna almost felt sorry for her. Almost. (She was evil after all.)

“Hate to break it to you, but you’re a little late on the whole Bobo thing. He already made his peace. Willa too. But I do need your help,” Wynonna said, looking down at her. She used the toe of her boot to push away some of the salt that had built up around Clootie’s face.

“Anything. Whatever you want. Power? Do you want power? I can give you that.” 

Wynonna pitied Constance. She should probably be afraid of her, but it was hard to be afraid of someone as utterly powerless as a witch in a salt flat. Still, she chose her words carefully.

“My sister was possessed by whenever it is that tried to cross into the Triangle on the solstice. If you can help her, fix her, I could be convinced to make a deal.” 

Clootie’s expression shifted from hopeful to suspicious, eyes narrowed. 

“Your sister is the little bitch of an Earp who destroyed my boy,” she spat. Her sudden turn from pleading to vicious caught Wynonna off guard. Any pity she had felt evaporated. 

“Well you can’t say I didn’t try.” Wynonna shrugged and started back towards where Doc was waiting by the truck. “Enjoy eternity as a salt lick.”

“No no, don’t go. I’ll do it, I’ll help you. Don’t leave me here,” she pleaded, the panic clear in her voice. 

“I don’t have time to play games with you, Clootie.” Wynonna sighed, turning back around. “Are you going to help me or not?”

“I’m not playing games, I promise. I’ll help you and your brat of a sister. Anything to not be stuck in this godforsaken waste any longer.”

“The deal is, if you help her, and she’s okay, I’ll let you go. Provided you leave the Triangle and don’t come back.” Constance nodded in agreement, and not for the first time Wynonna wondered if this was a good idea.

It had occurred to her that just letting Constance loose was maybe not the best thing to do (again, evil), but she had tried saving the world already and where had it gotten her? 

Besides, when it came right down to it, she would always pick Waverly first. 

*

The drive back to the homestead was as quiet as the drive out had been, but the atmosphere was different. Wynonna couldn’t quite put her finger on why. It was less tense maybe, and more...something. 

The decision had been made and now she had to live with the consequences. But then again, her entire life was living with consequences. That was nothing new. 

She lingered in the truck once they got to the homestead, not wanting to face reality quite yet. It felt like she was in suspended animation between having made the decision and facing what it meant, and she didn’t want to break that bubble. Nothing could go wrong if she just didn’t go inside.

She was acutely aware that this was her one shot. And she really needed it to work.

(Even saving the world hadn’t been this goddamn stressful.)

“Do you think this is the right thing to do?” she asked Doc, not looking at him. 

He didn’t answer for a long moment. “I do not know if it’s the right thing to do, but I do know that it’s the only thing we can do.”

“This has to work, Doc. If it doesn’t….” Wynonna blew out a long breath and shook her head. She wasn’t going to think about that, because if she did...well, she couldn’t go there. Not yet at least. “It’s all my fault. I should have noticed something was up with Willa and stopped her. I never should’ve let it get this far.”

Doc gave her a long look. “None of this is your fault. Blaming yourself for things beyond your control won’t do you or Waverly any good.”

“I should have protected her. I’m her big sister. That’s my job, and I failed.”

“I have lived a long time and made a considerable number of mistakes, and the only place blaming myself for the mistakes of others got me was the bottom of a well. Don’t dig your own well, Wynonna.”

“Too late for that.”

*

“How exactly is kidnapping a lawyer going to help?” Nicole asked when Wynonna and Doc brought Clootie into the homestead.

With how much Nicole had been around the past week, Wynonna sometimes forgot that she didn’t quite know the whole story yet. To her, Clootie was just a local lawyer and not the closest thing to the devil incarnate in the Triangle. 

“She’s a better witch than she is a lawyer and I didn’t bring her here because of her legal skills,” Wynonna said, manhandling Clootie into the bedroom.

“A witch?” Nicole asked, somewhat incredulously. 

“Yep. Evil, annoying, married to a demon. The whole nine yards really.” 

“Huh,” Nicole said, looking no less confused than before. “Okay then.”

Wynonna pushed Clootie over to where Waverly lay. “You said you could help her, so help her.”

Constance held up her hands, which were still bound with the gravesilk. “I can’t do anything without my powers.”

“Not a chance,” Wynonna said, crossing her arms. “I’m sure you can figure something out.”

“Fine, we’ll do this the old fashioned way.” Constance flicked her wrist across the back of Waverly’s arm, drawing a thin line of blood with her fingernail.

“What the hell?” Wynonna put herself between Clootie and Waverly. Nicole was on her feet now too, looking between her and Clootie, and Wynonna could feel Doc at her shoulder, waiting to see what she would do.

“If I wasn’t bound I wouldn’t need blood,” Constance said with a shrug.

Wynonna reminded herself that she had asked for this and let out a breath, stepping back. She gripped Peacemaker tighter, a part of her hoping that Clootie gave her an excuse to use it. 

Constance ran her thumb along the scratch on Waverly’s arm, collecting the blood and licking it off her finger. Wynonna got the distinct feeling that she was giving Clootie more power than she really ought to have, but there was no going back now. (That was a problem for future Wynonna.)

Constance looked down at Waverly and cocked her head. “Huh. Bobo was right.”

“Right about what?” Wynonna demanded.

Clootie gave her an appraising look. “You really don’t know, do you?”

“Obviously.” She was genuinely confused now, but she couldn’t discount the possibility that Clootie was messing with her. Whatever this particular line was, it was starting to make her distinctly uncomfortable.

“Intelligence clearly doesn’t run in the family.”

Any patience Wynonna might have had disappeared. She grabbed Clootie and shoved her roughly against the wall, pressing Peacemaker to her forehead. “I’m done with your games. Can you help Waverly or not?”

“She doesn’t need my help.”

“She was possessed.”

“Yes, but not by a demon. By a shadow, an echo, of a demon. It started losing power as soon as it jumped into her. She’s unconscious because she’s fighting it. It’ll be gone soon enough.”

Wynonna backed off, letting Clootie go. She didn’t trust her, but it did make sense. And it wasn’t like she had any other options. 

“When will she wake up?” Nicole asked, voicing the question Wynonna was too afraid to ask.

“That’s up to her.” 

Clootie held up her bound wrists once again. “Now, I believe we had a deal.”

“Not so fast, Elphaba. Once Waverly wakes up and if she’s okay, then I’ll let you go.” Wynonna turned to Doc, who was hovering closeby. “Take her out to the barn and make sure she can’t escape.”

He dragged Clootie out of the house, and Wynonna collapsed into the chair Nicole had vacated. She looked at Waverly, willing her to wake up. (If all she needed was power of will Waverly would have woken up days ago.)

“I can’t lose you too, Waves. I can’t be the only Earp left.”

“You won’t. She’s strong,” Nicole said, startling Wynonna from her reverie. She had forgotten that other woman was still in the room. 

Wynonna looked up to find her leaning against the wall, looking at Waverly with such tenderness that she wondered just what Waverly had done to deserve someone who looked at her like that. 

“She always was the strongest of us, I just could never see it.” Wynonna shook her head, wishing she had been a better sister. “I was so busy seeing who I wanted her to be that I couldn’t see who she really is.”

Nicole gave her a long look. “I don’t think so. I think that you saw what she wanted you to.”

Wynonna hated that Nicole was probably right. She hated that sometimes it seemed like she knew Waverly better than Wynonna did. When she really thought about it though, about all the odd moments and little tells over the past couple of months, she shouldn’t be surprised. 

“God, how did I miss this?” She gestured vaguely between Nicole and Waverly. “Did you know that Waverly looked me in the face and asked if chicks dig scars and I still had no idea?” 

Nicole shook her head, laughing quietly. “You are really really straight.”

“Hey, you make that sound like a bad thing,” Wynonna protested. 

“Well it sure is some sort of thing,” Nicole shot back. 

The tension drained out of the room as they settled back into their familiar banter. It felt like a weight had lifted off her chest and she could finally breath again. Everything wasn’t back to normal yet, and the question of when Waverly was going to wake up still hung over them, but for the first time in days Wynonna felt okay. Like things just might work out. 

*

She wasn’t sure when she’d fallen asleep (for the first time in way too long), but the next thing she knew, Nicole was shaking her awake. 

“This better be good, I was sleeping,” she said, crankily. She rolled her neck, making a note not to fall asleep in that chair again.

“Sorry to interrupt your beauty sleep,” Nicole said, rolling her eyes. “But I thought you’d like to know that Waverly’s awake.”

Wynonna was out of the chair and across the room faster than should would have thought herself capable of. 

Waverly was indeed awake, sitting up with the aid of several pillows and looking sleepy. Wynonna pulled her into a hug, kissing the top of her head. “Hey babygirl. You had me worried there. How’re you feeling?”

“Like I spent the night out drinking with you.” Waverly’s voice was rough from disuse, but Wynonna could hear her grimace. She laughed softly, just glad that Waverly was okay. (Or at least, as okay as she could be.)

Wynonna let Waverly go and she fell back against the pillows. “Nicole says I’ve been out for a couple of days.”

“Yeah, you scared us, with the whole demon possession thing.” 

Waverly grimaced. “I’ll try not to do that again.”

“You better not.” Wynonna tried to play off the fact that she was on the verge of tears (again), but she didn’t think she was all that successful. She busied herself by pulling out her phone to check the time and burst out laughing when she saw that it was just past midnight. 

“What?” Waverly asked, confused.

“Nothing, nothing. It’s just that it’s a Christmas miracle.” 

Waverly rolled her eyes as Nicole laughed along with Wynonna. “I hate you.”

“No you don’t. You love me,” Wynonna said, giving Waverly a gentle nudge. 

“Yeah, but I still hate you.”

Wynonna just shook her head. For the first time in what felt like way too long, she thought that things might just be okay.

*

Wynonna was up way too early the next morning to drive Clootie to the county line. (Granted she felt that any time before 11 am was too early, but if she wanted to make the long drive to the western border of the Triangle and back before dinner she had to be on the road by sun up). 

She checked in on Waverly before she left, and found her sprawled out over Nicole, who was sleeping in the bed next to her. 

Wynonna pressed a soft kiss against the side of Waverly’s head. “Merry Christmas, Wave.”

“‘Nonna?” Waverly asked, voice thick with sleep. 

“Shh, go back to sleep, babygirl.” She smoothed Waverly’s hair, just happy to have her back. They still had a lot to do, but now that Waverly was okay, she felt like they actually stood a chance. 

Waverly nodded, settling back against Nicole’s shoulder. Within moments she had relaxed back into sleep, looking peaceful. 

Wynonna smiled to herself, feeling lighter than she had in a very long time.

**Author's Note:**

> I keep trying to write WayHaught and then ending up writing reflections on Waverly and Wynonna's relationship, so like, I tried.


End file.
